Falafel

The night before, place the chickpeas in a mixing bowl and generously cover with water. Chickpeas will double in size, so allow for enough water and an appropriate sized bowl. Allow soaking for 12-24 hours.

In a food processor or strong blender, blitz the parsley till it's finely chopped.

Put the soaked chickpeas, garlic cloves, onion and spices in the blender and blend chickpeas till they have a texture similar to couscous. Add the bicarbonate of soda and blend till combined.

Once combined, place the falafel mixture in the fridge to rest for 10-20mins

Remove the falafel mixture from the fridge, and gently form 16 disc-shaped patties. Coat them in sesame seeds if using, and place on a tray with baking paper to prevent sticking.

Place a medium-sized fry pan over a medium flame and heat the oil. Next to the stove, place some paper towel on a plate to put the falafel on after frying.

Test the heat of the oil by putting a few crumbs of the mixture in the oil. The oil is ready when bubbles form around the crumbs, and you can hear a faint sizzle.

Fry the falafels in the oil, for a few 1-2 minutes till they look to be golden brown underneath. Carefully turn them over and cook them on the other side. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Serve the falafels hot!